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Top 12 Sustainable Fashion Documentaries That Will Touch Your Heart

Discover the top 12 sustainable fashion documentaries that will change how you view the fashion industry. From True Cost to Cowspiracy, these films explore the human and environmental impact of fast fashion and offer solutions for a more sustainable future.

True Cost (2015)

This outstanding documentary, directed by Andrew Morgan, dives deep into the hidden costs of fast fashion. True Cost tells the story of the clothes we wear, the people who make them, and the environmental impact of the fashion industry. It raises awareness about garment workers’ conditions in developing countries and the destruction fast fashion brings to the planet. Available on Amazon Prime, it’s a must-watch that will change how you think about your wardrobe.

 

The Future Of (2022)

New to sustainable fashion? Start with this short, punchy episode from Netflix’s “The Future Of” series. The episode titled “Fashion” offers an easy-to-digest introduction to the fast fashion crisis and showcases emerging alternatives. It’s a quick, engaging way to understand how disposable fashion is being reimagined by designers and researchers who are pushing for change in the industry.

Video credit: Netflix

Available on: Netflix

 

Fashionscapes (2021)

In this inspiring five-part docuseries, Andrew Morgan and Livia Firth travel the globe to explore the sustainable fashion movement. From wool producers in Tasmania to female artisans in Guatemala, Fashionscapes shines a light on the incredible efforts made by people around the world to create a circular fashion economy. This series will make you rethink how clothes are made and consumed, giving you hope for a better fashion future.

Video credit: EcoAgeTV

Available on: YouTubewww.fashionscapes.co.uk/films

 

RiverBlue: Can Fashion Save the Planet? (2017)

Follow Mark Angelo, an international river conservationist, as he uncovers how the fashion industry’s pollution is destroying some of the world’s most important rivers. RiverBlue shows the toxic wastewater from factories in developing countries that ends up poisoning local ecosystems and threatening millions of lives. This eye-opening documentary calls for change and highlights sustainable solutions that can help save the planet.
 

Video credit: RiverBlue

 

The Next Black (2014)

Produced by AEG, The Next Black explores the future of fashion by featuring heroes of sustainability like Patagonia, Studio XO, and Adidas. This forward-thinking documentary explores everything from Lady Gaga’s famous bubble-making dress to fabrics brewed in bacteria. The film is a must-watch for anyone interested in how technology and sustainability can shape the future of fashion.

Video credit: AEG

Available on:  Youtube
 
 

Where the Future of Fashion is Headed (2019)

VPRO Documentary’s Where the Future of Fashion is Headed presents innovative solutions to the fashion industry’s environmental and ethical issues. The film features pioneers like Vin + Omi, who create garments from plants and plastic bottles, and designer Jasna Rokegem, who’s working on a garment that never needs washing. It’s an exciting dive into the future of sustainable fashion that will leave you inspired by the possibilities.

Video credit: VPRO Documentary

Available on: YouTube

 

Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (2014)

This groundbreaking documentary explores the devastating environmental impact of the animal agriculture industry, and how fashion—through leather and other animal products—contributes to this crisis. Directed by Kip Andersen, Cowspiracy shows how livestock farming generates more greenhouse gases than the entire transportation sector combined. This is a must-see for anyone reconsidering their relationship with animal-based products in fashion.
 

Video credit: COWSPIRACY

Available on: Netflixwww.cowspiracy.com
 

Inside the Billionaire’s Wardrobe (2016)

This fascinating documentary by Reggie Yates dives into the world of fur and exotic animal skins in fashion. Inside the Billionaire’s Wardrobe takes viewers from Siberia to Indonesia, revealing the harsh reality behind the global fur industry and the lives of the animals involved. A great documentary for anyone who wants to question their choices when it comes to fur and leather in fashion.

Available on: Amazon

Sparkpick features Inside billionaire's wardrobe

 

Fashion Victims (2013)

After the Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh, journalist Sarah Ferguson goes on a mission to uncover the truth behind the supply chains of Australian fashion brands. The documentary features heartbreaking stories from survivors of the collapse and highlights the dangerous working conditions many garment workers face. Fashion Victims is a must-watch for those wanting to understand the human cost of fast fashion.

Video credit: Journeyman Pictures 

Available on: Amazon

 

Alex James: Slowing Down Fast Fashion (2016)

Former Blur bassist Alex James asks the essential question: what can we do to slow down the fast fashion cycle? In this documentary, Alex takes a closer look at how society and individuals can make conscious choices about the clothes we wear. From exploring sustainable materials to asking hard questions about supply chains, this film is a personal journey that will inspire you to take action.

Video credit: Journeyman Pictures

Available on: Amazon
 

From Sex Worker to Seamstress: The High Cost of Cheap Clothes (2014)

This eye-opening documentary by VICE founder Suroosh Alvi reveals the grim reality of garment workers in Cambodia, many of whom were once sex workers. From Sex Worker to Seamstress follows Alvi as he investigates how poverty, corruption, and the country’s aggressive anti-trafficking campaign have forced women into garment factories, where they work long hours in poor conditions for just $80 a month. Shockingly, many of these women say they were better treated as sex workers than in the factories. This film highlights the devastating human cost of cheap clothing for Western consumers and sheds light on the hidden lives of those who make our clothes.

 

Source: VICE News

Available on: YouTube

 
 

Unravel: The Final Resting Place of your Cast-off Clothing (2016)

This heartwarming yet insightful documentary takes you to Panipat, India, where donated clothing from the West ends up for recycling. Unravel follows local women working in the recycle facilities as they process tons of cast-off garments. Despite their humble surroundings, the women bring a lighthearted and cheerful tone to the film, sharing their surprise at the excess of clothing that arrives—some of it hardly worn. Their curiosity and humor, like wondering why Westerners would send clothes because of a “water shortage,” add a unique perspective on the global fashion waste problem. This short documentary offers a rare glimpse into the journey your donated clothing takes and the cultural perceptions surrounding it, making it both eye-opening and heartwarming.

Source: Aeon Video

Available on: YouTube
 

Some outstanding environmental documentaries and TV shows are Down to Earth with Zac Efron, Before the Flood with Leonardo DiCaprio as a United Nations Messenger of Peace, The Anthropocene: The Age of Mankind, and Surviving Progress. To get more advice on how to find your own path to sustainable fashion, watch Clara Vuletich’s TedTalk How to Engage with Ethical Fashion, and the documentary Minimalism.

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